Tips for applying for permanent jobs

At Patchwork Hub, we want to help you find work and strengthen your applications. Sometimes job searching can be hard, so we’ve put together some tips to help you to succeed.

Looking for a new Job

You might be searching for a new job because you want to change careers. Or you might need to search for a new job because of personal circumstances.

At Patchwork Hub we’re here to help, and we know that job searching can be difficult. The first step you should take is to think about what kind of job you want to apply for. You might want to continue in your previous career area, or, you might want to try something new. Knowing what kind of job you want to apply for will help you to focus your search.

Get to know your Employer

When applying for a job, it’s important to research the employer. It’s good to find out their beliefs and values, and make sure that they’re a good fit for you.

Perhaps you like the employer but the listed job is not right for you. You can go to the employer’s page and follow them for future job updates. You can also see what other jobs they have posted.

Some questions you might ask yourself about the employer include:

• Am I a good fit for the employer?

• Is this employer a good fit for me?

• Do they have an accessible working environment?

• Does the employer seem like they will accommodate my needs?

• What kind of benefits does the employer offer?

• What kind of people work there?

Employers will share some of this information on the job post. However, it’s always a good idea to find out more about the employer by researching them further.

Start your Search

At Patchwork Hub, you can tailor your search when looking for jobs. You can use filters to refine your search. For example, full-time or part-time roles. You can also search by salary and location.

When searching for jobs, you can create a job alert. This will notify you when jobs under your search are posted. This means you will be one of the first to apply and stay on top of new jobs.

Sharing relevant information

Your cover letter/supporting statement is an opportunity to share information about your motivations and why you feel you’d be a good fit for the role you are applying for. Also, you may choose to explain details of any employment gaps or time out of work.

Relevant information also includes your experience and skills. This may include relevant previous jobs and roles. If you don’t have as much professional experience, you might include voluntary positions or other skills you have.

One tip to stand out from the crowd is to Complete your profile as much as possible. Although not all employers always will use this, for lots it’s an easy way to connect with an applicant and learn more about them. You can do this by going to your profile page on your dashboard.

Disabled Candidates

If you have additional accessibility needs and require any adjustments at any point in the process, you can share this with employers on your application. If you have any issues or want some help, please contact our team.

Our team recognises that the traditional CV/Resume is not always the best way for a candidate to thrive in the recruitment process. If you wish to showcase yourself and your skills in a different way, please let us know. We are here to help in any way we can.

Tailor your application

It’s important to tailor your application for each job description and role. This is because employers can tell when you have copied and pasted from other job applications.

You should also be specific when applying to jobs. Make sure you have read the job advertisement carefully and that you know what the employer is looking for.

If the employer requires a CV/Resume for the job (and most do), you should not always use the same CV/Resume every time. You should tailor the CV/Resume to the role you are applying for. This might mean that you include different experience, or skills that relate to the specific role.

Tip: You can upload different CV/Resume files onto your dashboard so you can submit tailored applications more quickly. When you’re logged in and click to Apply, these files will be available for you to quickly select the most appropriate or you can upload a new file.

You should also tailor your cover letter to the specific job. Use similar words and terms that the employer uses in the job posting.

Be sure to review and edit your application. You should check for any spelling errors or mistakes before applying.

Look at our other article for more advice on writing CVs/resumes.

Getting your Response

While you wait for a response from employers, you should continue to search for jobs. Every employer will take a different amount of time to get back to you. Unfortunately, although it’s our recommended practice to do so, some employers do not contact unsuccessful candidates. Others may be more responsive and let you know the outcome of your application and why they made their decision.

At Patchwork Hub, we know from personal experience how frustrating the job process can be, particularly when you have a disability and face additional barriers. We’re here to support you in any way we can. We run Patchworktogether to support you in looking for work and centralise resources and partners so you can more easily access support. To explore this support, please visit our Patchworktogether page.

If you have further questions, you can visit our contact us page.